Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-08-01
Ell DORADO ANp HYDRAULIC MINING


a-----z--.
Ell DORADO ANF HYDRAULIC MINING.
Our excitable contemporary, the Noun
tain Democrat knows very well that the
RgcoRD-UNIeN entertaisls no enmitv to-
wards FL Dorado county. Our contem-
porary's eitert to work up sensation in
that direction will prove futile. No SINH
lar influence has done, or will do more. to
promote the prosperity of FL Dorado tl.an
the RBcoRD-UNIoN. The occasion of the
Democrats agitation is found in the fact
that the REcoRB-UNIoN believes in pro-
tecting the valley and the rivers from the
devastating food of slickens and sand sent
down by hydraulic mining in several
counties, There are not many hydraulic
mines in El Dorado, but such as thev are,
the operators are as amenable to the Law
for illegal acts, if they commit them, rs
those IN Euba or Nevada or Butte. There
Is but one course for the people of the val
ley TO pursue, and that is in the line of
self-protection. They would forfeit the
good opinion of the people of Fl Dorado
If they did less than to act in self-defense.
This hydraulic mining question is not to
be settled by yituperative ordinations,
nor the calling of bad names. The truth
is, FL Dorado's best interest does not lie in
choosing between proper development of
her resources by legitimate methods and
injurious hydraulic mining in favor of the
latter. 1t is condemned by the law when
1t Fills the rivers and destroys lands upon
their lower reaches The Courts are n
unit upon that point. 1t is inevitable that
such hydraulic mining must cease, and
only the short-sighted will continue to do
battle for it. One of the heavy hvdraulic
mining firms whose works have been sus-
pended by injunction in Placer county
SAID to us recently: eve know that our
process destroys the rivers, and if con-
hnued will obliterate their navigation:
we know that the working of our claim
does irreparable damage to valley lands
and threatens your towns and cities. The
law condemns it; the Courts have declared
IT public nuisance, and we resolved to
cease work permanently, and no longer re
slst the inevitable. and did so months ago
We were wrong originally, and frankly
admit 1t; our interest is that of the
whole State, and hence we resolved to do
nothing more to iniure orr neighbors 1t
was hard upon us, but we recognized it to
be our duty to obey the law and conserve
the right, and we did so"
The local feeling in I'll Dorado concern
ing injunctions against hydraulic mining
is very easy to be understood, and there is
no feeling of hatred in the valley because of
IT. The people of the valley have also
suffered, and severely. The growth and
Development of the whole section has been
retarded for years because of injury done.
Rivers once nayigable by deep-water YES
sells have shrunk to creeks upon which
only shallow, hat-bottomed boats can be
used the waters are retained within banks
only at enormous expense, or not at all :;
lands once of great value and fertile in
character have been covered up and
changed into sandy wastes and rendered
worthless and unproductive The exercise
OF the natural instinct of self-preservation
Is not, therefore, to be classed with vindic-
tive assaults or hostile and F4eiudiced acts
If as is contended, the small hydraulic
miners of Ell Dorado, working but few
feet of bank, and mainly IN gravel, are not
contributing to the evil, then the owners
will not be harmed and judgments cannot
be obtained against them. If they are
contributing, however, the law must take
It's course there as elsewhere 1t has been
vainly attempted TO show that the valley is
antagonistic 10 quartz mining, FL Dorado's
chief mining interest but the truth is. the
valley has never taken any action against
such mining, and has constantly declared
that 1t has no issue with it; that ii has not
general, but only the specific kind that
works injury to the valley. Let our neigh
bors in FL Dorado understand that the val
ley people have no ill-feeling against them;
on the contrary, they look upon the de
velopment of that county with profound
interest, and have hailed the new spirit of
progress there with undisguised gratifca-
ton. Hydraulic mining, that so previously
Injuries its neighbors, cripples the efforts
to develop this section, and threatened at
one time the absolute destruction of rivers
and river lands, is not essential to the we'll
being of that county. 1t is not dependent
upon it; the promise of the county with
Its newly-discovered magnificent quartz
lodesi its fruit acreage; its lumber Interests
and It's many other resources, is indepen-
dent OF the process %hat washes the hills
into the rivers, and covers bottom lands
with sand and slickens.